"My favorite color?" he asked incredulously as the audience howled with laughter. "Who sent you? Who are you?"

"Have you never been asked that before?" the fan asked.

"No!"

"Maybe that's why I asked."

Nimoy considered, then smiled broadly. "Well, good for you!"

(It's blue, by the way.)

Nearly one hundred and fifty people were listening to "A Discussion with Leonard Nimoy" Sunday morning at the FX International convention at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Eager fans shelled out admission fees from $125 to $250. Each received a goody bag with a movie poster, various collectible items and a voucher for an autograph from the man himself (Nimoy was holding court).

The 78-year-old Nimoy handled the room like a pro, telling stories and promoting the upcoming relaunch of the beloved franchise, JJ Abrams' blockbuster movie Star Trek, something he said he realized would be great after seeing the first, unadorned cut months ago:

"My wife is… she loves me a lot and I love her, and she's a great Star Trek supporter, but she's hardly a big science fiction fan, she's not like, like… well, you people," he said to general laughter. "So she was skeptical. About 15 minutes before it was over, she turned to me and she said 'I don't want this movie to end.'"

Nimoy had nothing but praise for the other actors, including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Winona Rider as Spock's mother. "She's wonderful! Wonderful!"

"The movie is big, a gigantic movie, a cinematic movie, but it also has great heart for the characters," he said. He saw the final version recently and said, "I'm gonna tell you I cried a lot. I sat there and cried a lot, watching it. Don't tell anybody.

"Out of character for me," he added.

"Big, gigantic canvas and story, it's a big, big story and the people in it are so versatile, so human, and the way this crew comes together to become the crew of the Enterprise is a very wonderful story, you'll love it. You'll love it," he said. "See it seven or eight times."

With a slightly raspy voice the chatty, laughing Nimoy was light years away from his most famous persona. For most of the hour he answered questions from fans, which ranged from his voiceover work as Galvatron in the animated Transformers movie, to his relation by marriage to Michael Bay ("and he won't hire me!"), to his long-standing friendship with William Shatner, to the photography that has been the focus of his life for the past 15 years, to his upcoming guest spots on JJ Abrams' FOX show Fringe (one in the last episode airing May 12, and two episodes next season, "and then we'll see how the character develops").

One fan even asked him to reproduce his legendarily mocked musical performance of "The Legend of Bilbo Baggins," but instead Nimoy forced the Starfleet-suited fan to come up to the stage and perform it himself, even helpfully supplying the lyrics when the fan tried to back out.

But it always came back to Star Trek.

Shatner didn't really try to kill him in Star Trek IV The Voyage Home, but the robe Nimoy was wearing sucked up water and dragged him down to the bottom of the tank. The Vulcan hand gesture is from a childhood memory of a Jewish High Holy Days ceremony. He didn't appear in the seventh movie, Star Trek: Generations, because the lines written for him weren't Spock lines and he didn't see the point. He was very blunt about disliking "Generations," and not seeing any reason why Kirk had to die in it.

He was fascinated with the issues he brought out in the sixth movie, Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, based loosely on the Russians' problems with the Chernobyl disaster and their crumbling economy. He loved the way The Voyage Home brought humor back to the Star Trek universe. And he battled with the movie studio over having an alien force in that movie that not only was impossible for humans to understand, but hadn't come to talk to us anyway. Their proposed solution? Subtitles for the probe.

"I said no, no, no, no, we're not gonna do that." He fought, and won, and when the movie was test-screened and the advance audience unanimously agreed that they understood the plot, Nimoy sent that back to the studios with a… well, I can't repeat it here, but it is distinctly odd to hear Spock cuss.

The final question was why, after turning down other offers to appear in the various incarnations of Star Trek over the years, he chose to bring Spock back to life for the new movie.

"I was done. I thought I was quite done, and for many years I was," he said, mentioning the photography that had become his passion. "I was aware of the TV work that (JJ Abrams) was doing, which I thought was interesting and well done. I got a call from him, would I come to a meeting where I met with he and the writers and a couple of the producers.

"And I was struck by the intensity of their feelings about the classic Star Trek material that we did. By their awareness of what the characters were about, and how important the characters' development was, and how important the ideas of those shows were. I was really touched by them, very touched. In fact, it's been reported I got misty at that meeting, and I actually did," he said.

"Because for a long time, I felt marginalized. I thought, no, (the new Treks) have nothing to do with me," he said. "It's over for me. But these people made me feel that what we had done in the original series was still relevant, and useful, and meaningful, and they wanted to get back in touch with that," he said. "And that's what brought me into the project."

JJ Abrams' Star Trek premieres May 8, 2009. Watch the latest trailer at the official site.
Leonard Nimoy's photography (includes nudity): leonardnimoyphotography.com

"Cosplaying," short for "costume playing," has grown from throwing on a Halloween costume to a full-fledged subculture of people who devote great amounts of time, money and attention on crafting their characters in every detail. Cosplayers often attends cons in themed groups, posing for pictures and role-playing their chosen characters as much as a convention center will allow.

For most cosplayers it's a fun hobby, but Yaya Han, professional costume designer, model and cosplay entertainer (and celebrity guest at this weekend's FX convention in Orlando), does it full time.  She spoke to me recently about being other people for a living.

Why dress up for a convention? What do you get out of it?

It started out as a way to express my fandom. At the beginning it was just fun to portrait my favorite characters and interact with other fans. Costuming makes the most bold statement about what your fandom is, anyone can see what show you like from across the hall. It's a lot more creative and eye-catching than, say, wearing a shirt with the show's name on it, and it brightens the whole convention hall, which without costumers would be just a bunch of people in T-shirt and jeans.

In the last several years costuming has become more than just fun, it's
turned into my career. I make all of my own costumes as well as design
for customers such as TV production companies, clubs, and
photographers. I also make regular guest appearances at conventions to
teach panels and workshops on costuming, judge and/or host contests,
and meet my own fans and sign photos.

On top of all that, I an an exhibitor (vendor) at over 20 conventions
per year, selling my hand crafted costume accessories and items to the
general public.

So simple dressing up has led to a solid, integrated presence in the fandom community for me.

How long have you been cosplaying? How did you get started?

My first anime convention in the US was Anime Expo '99, and I went as
an artist showcasing and selling my work in the art show. From seeing
photos of the convention beforehand I knew people dressed up in
costumes that weekend, so I brought a kimono to wear and with the help
of a friend sewed a really simple costume. That was the first time I
used a sewing machine!

After that I was hooked like crazy. Until then the possibility of
dressing as your favorite manga/anime character never occurred to me so
all of a sudden the flood gates opened and all I could think about was
who to cosplay next! lol.

How do you choose which costumes to do next?

For replicating an existing character, It's a combination of love for
the character and the design of the costume. There has to be both for
me to want to spend the time and effort on making the outfit. For
designing my own costume, I get inspired by almost anything – music,
books, artwork and photos, movies etc. Usually something strikes me and
I become obsessed with turning an idea into a costume, and I start
sketching and looking for materials immediately. Deciding on a new
costume to make is very exhilarating, and I love the process of making
a costume even more than wearing it.

How much does each one cost, and how long do they take to make?

They cost between $50 – $600+, depending on complexity, and I have
spent as little time as 6 hours on a costume, and devoted more than 5
weeks to one. I have become much faster at sewing and crafting these
days so outfits that used to take 2 weeks I can now finish in a few
days.

Which ones are your favorites?

I love all my costumes, and it's hard to pick favorites. But if I had
to, these following ones were especially fun to make or fun to wear:

Baelfir the Fire Fairy because I put so much time and love into the
costume, even when I had no idea what I was doing, lol. I would like to
re-make this costume with the knowledge I have now.

Lady Deathstrike (from the "X-Men" comics and movies) because it is so fun to take fighting photos with everyone at conventions!

Empyrean Eyes, my Peacock costume, is one of my favorite original
designs. It's really comfortable to wear and easy to get into, but has
many textures and layers. I feel very elegant in it!

Which one do you think is the closest to your personality?

Ada Wong (from "Resident Evil") because I love posing with guns and she's such a kickass character.

Do you mind when people stop you to take pictures?

Of course not. As with every costumer, getting your photo taken is part
of dressing up. About the only time I do not enjoy photos of me to be
snapped is while I'm eating lol. You'd be surprised how often that
happens actually, to all of us costumers!

With all the attention, do you ever get to relax enough to have fun at a con?

I always make time for fun! The greatest benefit of traveling to over
20 cons per year is to see and meet people, and I am a lucky girl who
gets to see many of her friends who are scattered across the country.
Yes, it can be insane, getting up at 6 a.m. to go set up a booth, then
sell all day, and meanwhile dress up in costume and take photos, etc.
But I enjoy the cons a lot and at the end of day there is always a
group of us heading to dinner and then to hang out and chill.

Will you be cosplaying this weekend at FX?

All three days! I am bringing costumes for general wear and for
scheduled photoshoots. You will be able to find me at booth #1019 with
CMI Toys, signing photos and in costume. I will also have items from my
cosplay store available.

What advice would you give beginner cosplayers?

Have fun for yourself, don't dress up in costumes for attention or to
fit in – those are not fulfilling reasons to put all this time and
effort into a hobby. Really try to find the joy in researching and
making your costumes – you can google for just about any crafting and
sewing technique these days and there are many tutorials.

Also, don't judge other people and their costumes, and don't let them judge you either. Just go have a blast!

You don't have to be a professional seamstress or model to cosplay, of course. At least month's MegaCon Crystal Rodriquez of Palm Coast became Mia the Unicorn, based on "Peter S. Beagle's Last Unicorn, the Unicorn Tapestries, and a little bit of My
Little Pony." Mia was her Rodriquez's first costume, and it changed her con experience dramatically.

"Normally I go to conventions in a t-shirt and jeans and always enjoyed shopping
and taking pictures of cosplayers," she said. "Megacon 2009 was Mia's debut and the
reception I got, I could never have predicted it would be that big. At one point
in the costume, a 5-minute walk took me 45 minutes because everyone stopped me
for pictures. I've never been the center of attention before and it was very
new, but I enjoyed every minute of it."

Christian Mercado, 18, from Apopka, cosplays at every convention he attends. "I wouldn't have it any other way!" he said. "It's definitely a completely different experience going in costume! It is so much more fun, in my opinion. And it's immensely satisfying when people come up to you to take pictures and compliment on your work!"

Which characters does Mercado cosplay? It might be easier to list the ones he has not. "Being a Star Wars junkie, my first costume ever made was my Darth Vader, which was used for a movie themed Christmas showcase in December of 2007," he said. His other costumes have included "the original Joker from Batman, Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Garindan from Star Wars, a New Republic Jedi from Star Wars, Mario from Super Mario Brothers, a Nazgul (Ringwraith) from Lord of The Rings, Rorschach from Watchmen, Luffy from One Piece, and Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. I have also made my own interpretations of characters from either books or series that have pretty generalized characters, such as the Thought Police from the book '1984,' The Pirate King from the musical Pirates of Penzance, a Robot based off the ones in the Animatrix, and a Hollow from Bleach. I'm also currently working on cosplaying Light Yagami from Death Note, Son Goku from Saiyuki, and Auron from Final Fantasy X!"

"It's just so much fun walking into a hall or (dealers) room and seeing people scramble to take pictures of you and your friends," Mercado said. "Good memories and tons of fun!"

You can find more about cosplaying and plenty of pictures of Yaya Han in costume — along with details on the characters and what each costume entailed — at her website AngelicStar.net. Don't miss seeing her (and many, many other cosplayers) at this weekend's FX convention at the Orange City Convention Center in Orlando. And if you're interested in giving it a shot yourself, you can check out sites like cosplay.com or even my own tips on cosplaying here.

All Yaya Han images © AngelicStar.net and the respective photographers, used by permission. Mia image © C. A. Bridges. Rorshach image © Christian Mercado.

Well, you wouldn't, actually, because trying to boil it down to a single word would probably do nasty things to your brainmeat. But then again, so does his work. It might be easier to describe the sorts of things this Australian commercial-artist-turned-comics-superstar does, and let you draw your own conclusions.

- Artist and co-creator with Steve Niles of "30 Days of Night" (and many spinoffs), about a vampire gang living in Alaska. Became a movie with Josh Hartnett, Melissa George and Danny Huston. Nominated for an Eisner Award, comics' highest honor. Won the Spike TV Scream Award for Best Comic.
- Creator of "Wormword: Gentleman Corpse," about an extra-dimensional sentient maggot that embodies corpses in order to drink Guinness and, occasionally, save the world. Hardback collection made the New York Times Bestseller list.
- Artist for "Fell," written by Warren Ellis, about an honorable detective in a city gone feral. Nominated for an Eisner Award three years running.
- Creator of "Welcome to Hosford," where a prison run by Russian werewolves gets a new inmate/hunt victim named Ray Delgado, who turns out to be just the right kind of delusional murderer to fight back.
- Artist for "Groom Lake," written by Chris Ryall, about the day-to-day job of keeping UFOs secret.

Templesmith will be attending the FX convention in Orlando this weekend, and took a moment to talk to me about it.

Vampires, werewolves, corpses, inexplicable Nixon-mask-wearing nuns… Is the inside of your head a safe place to be?

Absolutely. It's the guys that draw cutesy crap, the Mickey Mouse guys, who you need to worry about. They internalize everything, until it all boils over. Me? I get it all out onto the page, so I'm honestly a nice guy if you were to meet me face to face. Well, except for my small baby eating habit.

How did you get started in comics?

An art director for
Todd McFarlane Productions ( He's the guy that created Spawn, etc ) saw
my work online at my website and offered me a job. That's it in a
nutshell.

Are there any artists that have influenced you? I see a bit of Sienkiewicz in there…

Can't
claim to be a huge Sienkiewicz fan. Didn't grow up looking at his work
at all really. I did however, grow up admiring people who were heavily
influenced by him, so I'm more second generation on that. However, my
real early influences are Ralph Steadman and Victor Ambrus, two non-comic guys.

What attracts you to the comics medium? Do you have plans to do more work with movies?

For
me, it's about telling stories. To be able to control the visuals, the
pacing and get your ideas out there in rather pure form. It's most
definitely my medium of choice but I am, these days, looking at other
media. I get asked about doing things elsewhere all the time now though
I'll always go back to comics.

What's your typical work day like?

Right
now, until June, I actually work out of one of my publisher's offices on actual office hours, which kills me. (I'm a night owl usually) So I
wake up at an ungodly early hour, grab a coffee, head into work around
9 a.m., sit there and draw/paint/twitter etc until 6 p.m., then go home
and collapse or simply do a bit more work. My natural work flow for
years has been to wake up around 12 p.m., chill out, grab some food
then work through til the early morning at my home studio, crash into
bed, then repeat the next day. I'm no good at the standard office
hours.

And your con day?

Not as fun an answer.
Wake up, ungodly early (since I was probably out late drinking with pro
friends the previous night), drag myself into the con, sit at my booth
and proceed to draw commissions and meet fans. That's really about it.
I rarely leave my booth since I get a steady stream of people to meet
and greet, then when the con closes all the pros go out and catch up.

Why do you go to cons? Do you primarily come to sell, to meet fans, or to see colleagues? Or is it a soul-gathering thing?

Primarily
it's to meet and greet the kind of people who buy my work which allow me
to pay my rent. Recently I've brought stuff to actually sell, which
people seem to like. Meeting fellow pros is also a highlight as
generally comics can be a rather solitary profession, notwithstanding
the internet chats.

Do whimsical horror writer/artists get a different class of fans at cons?

No idea. I get some very friendly and dedicated people. A particular niche demographic I guess. I'm lucky to have anyone!

Has anyone come up to you in a Wormword costume?

More
and more. About 5 now. Each time, they get better and better, so the
most impressive one was at my last con. No one has yet dressed up as
any of the demonic strippers with living tattoos as yet though. (Hint
hint hint…)

What's your favorite con experience, either as guest or fan?

Coming
from Australia, I never grew up going to cons, so my only convention
experience was as a professional basically. As a guest, I don't have to
pay to get in, I know that!

Will you be at the Drink and Draw event Friday night?

If it's at a bar, no doubt I will be. I am Australian, I think I lose my citizenship if I *don't* turn up.

You can find more about Ben Templesmith at his site Templesmith.com, and you can probably find out far more than you ever wanted to know about Ben Templesmith by following his frequently updated Twitter account. And be sure to look for him — and over 170 other artists and writers including Special Guest of Honor Michael Golden ("Batman," "Vampirella," "Captain
America," "Micronauts"), Olivier Coipel ("Thor"), Mark Texeira ("Moon Knight," "Ghost Rider"), Frank Brunner ("Doctor Strange," "Conan the Barbarian," "Red Sonja," "Vampirella," "Man-Thing," "Silver Surfer") and many more.
Avatar Press will be making its first U.S. convention appearance, with
limited edition comics made especially for this FX con, and editors
from Marvel Comics will be holding panels and making announcements. And
don't miss Creators Alley filled with more than a hundred artists of
all disciplines displaying their work. — this weekend at FX 2009.

(All images © Ben Templesmith and/or IDW Publishng, used by permission)

As we get closer to FX 2009, the massive pop culture convention coming to the Orange County Convention Center this weekend, it's time to dig a little and see what you can expect. First up, a few words from FX's Director of Exhibitions Michael Herz.

It's been 20 years. How did FX get started?

The first show was actually in Tampa in 1989, it was promoted by Bruce Zalkin and called the Tampa Toyfest. Meanwhile, I was promoting the Character and Collectible Show in Maryland. Bruce and I got together in 1990 and in 1991 changed the name to the Florida eXtravaganza (FX). We ran it together until 1997, and I bought it back from him in 2004. In 2007, the show became to big for me to run myself anymore and I took a corporate partner, that's when it became FX International.

What have your attendance numbers since it started?

We've gone from maybe 300 in 1990 to 10,000 in 1996, to 3,500 in 2004 and back up to an expected attendance this year of at least 20,000.

How do you set yourself apart from MegaCon and other scifi/comic conventions in the area?

My dream has always been to be different from the other big events. We want FX to be everything for everyone: A collectible toy show, a comic-con, a sci-i-fi show, a horror show, a sports show, with anime and gaming events and panels and celebrities,your basic pop-culture overload circus! I have always strived to bring in new and different genres and cutting edge activities. This year we have added the celebrity poker challenge, the Drink and Draw, The Disney Pin event, the Sports Pavilion and Project Vinyl has been amped up from prior years. I am always very interested in anything that supports art and artists of any genre, so we have a lot of art-centered events this year.

What's the biggest hassle of organizing what is essentially a small town in an even smaller room?

That's
a good analogy! There are a lot of hassles involved with promoting an
event of the size and scope of FX. I think the biggest one is that
everyone waits until the last second to get involved. Dealers,
industry, sponsors all wait until we become a blip on their radar,
which in most cases is in the last 60 – 90 days before the show. So our
staff is heavily involved in logistical tasks that could have been done
many months earlier, rather than the promotion and advertising. It
makes the last days before the show days of high stress and no sleep.

How much of the con is handled by volunteers?

We
have a huge group of wonderful, talented and loyal volunteers, I'd
adopt them all if I could. They make up about two third of the show
staff.

How do you decide which guests to invite?

Do
you remember when you were a kid throwing sharpened pencils at the
ceiling tiles to see how many you could make stick? Same thing. We all
brainstorm and come up with an A-list, then I start making offers. I
probably wind up making 8 – 10 times as many offers as I get in final
guests. I try to bring in guests from vintage entertainment that I
would consider icons. I also strive to bring in fresh hot stars and
guests from cult favorites. No matter who we get, I like for them to be
fresh newcomers to the show circuit.

Do you have a favorite guest story (that you can tell us)?

I
have quite a few of my favorites that I can't tell you! When I retire
from this business call me and we'll write a book. I have a couple of
sharable faves. One involves Hayden Panetierre. I was sitting with her
as her handler (actually at the New York Comic Con) when a young man,
probably 18ish, approached with his photo to be signed and he was
trembling and I don't mean slightly, this guy was shaking from head to
toe. He handed her the photo in a motion that looked like he was
fanning her and she said, "you're shaking, are you OK?" He replied back
that he was nervous meeting her.

Hayden gently took his hand
in hers and said that there was no reason to be nervous that she is a
person just like him. He almost immediately calmed down. The encounter
obviously made his month. She is great with the fans.

Another
favorite involved Nathan Fillion at FX last year. A handicapped woman
on a motorized scooter had just gotten her autograph from Nathan. He
very nicely asked if he could borrow the scooter for a moment, she said
yes, and he proceeded to tear around the exhibit floor on it, it was
very funny. Some of the ride was captured on video and is available on
YouTube. Nathan's the best all around guest we've ever had at FX.

Do you get the sense that FX attendees are a community unto themselves?

Yes,
it is like a reunion every year. I think that log distance friends plan
to get together to attend each year. It is the same with our staff.

FX
runs from Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19 at the Orange County
Convention Center on International Drive in Orlando. You can find more details here, and schedules, guest lists, and ticket information at fxshow.com

"We want FX to be everything for everyone," he said. "A collectible toy show, a comic-con, a sci-fi show, a horror show, a sports show, with anime and gaming events and panels and celebrities. Your basic pop-culture overload circus!"

This year's FX show, the 20th anniversary of the annual event, is expected to bring 20,000 fans from all over the country next weekend to the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive in Orlando to join together in the great, geeky bliss of a massive costume party that has overrun an indoor fairground during a music festival. So why should you be there?

For The Celebrities

FX has a reputation for attracting cult-favorite media guests, and this year is no exception with Leonard Nimoy from "Star Trek," James Marsters from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Smallville" and "Dragonball Evolution," James Kyson Lee from "Heroes," Lindsey Wagner from the original "Bionic Woman," Scotty "Scotty 2 Hottie" Garland from the WWE and many more from movies, TV and wrestling.

"I try to bring in guests from vintage entertainment that I would consider icons," Herz said.

For some of the guests, doing a con is like coming home. "When I was 10…13…I had a big afro, and I would go to Star Trek conventions with pointed ears and arched eyebrows. I had my Star Trek uniform that I hand-sewed myself," actor James Marsters said in a 2008 interview for Fannish Inquisition, a fan site for TV shows "Stargate" and "Firefly."

"And I found there were — at conventions — people that I enjoyed being around. Intelligent, a little weird and full of life. That's why I enjoy doing conventions now. I just love it."

Stars bring lots of fans but FX has an system of tickets and scheduled
times that eases the long autograph lines. There also will be
professional photo opportunities, themed discussion panels, and "A
Conversation with Leonard Nimoy" on April 19 (separate ticket required)
with goodie bags of collectibles for all attending.

For The Artists

More than 70 of the hottest comics writers and artists working today
will be signing autographs and showing off their stuff, including
Special Guest of Honor Michael Golden ("Batman," "Vampirella," "Captain
America," "Micronauts"), Ben Templesmith ("Welcome to Hoxford," "Dr.
Who: The Whispering Gallery," "30 Days of Night"), Matt Fraction
("Uncanny X-Men," "Casanova," "Invincible Iron Man") and many more.
Avatar Press will be making its first U.S. convention appearance, with
limited edition comics made especially for this FX con, and editors
from Marvel Comics will be holding panels and making announcements. And
don't miss Creators Alley filled with more than a hundred artists of
all disciplines displaying their work.

For the third year, FX will host Project Vinyl, featuring designer toy
artwork and appearances by popular vinyl toy artists such as Ron
English, Buff Monster, Angry Woebots, kaNO, and Peekaboo Monster.

For The Stuff

Aside from the hundreds of exhibitors selling comics, toys, books,
armor, clothing, weapons and DVDs, FX will start something new this
year with a Disney Pin Swap every day of the con. Six exclusive,
officially licensed, FX-themed disney pins will be available, with a
seventh completer pin offered if you buy the set. Plus, FX-exclusive
editions of Warren Ellis' comics "Anna Mercury" and "Ignition City," as
well as limited edition Phantom and Captain Action figures are slated
to be on hand.

For The Costumes

For many attendees, costume playing or "cosplaying" is at least half
the fun of going. Cosplaying is as much performance art as dressing up,
with cosplayers acting out their meticulously crafted roles throughout
the weekend for each other and the many eager photographers. You'll see
Supermen of all sizes chatting with Princess Leias, a team of Sailor
Moons being chased by Captain Jack Sparrow, a man dressed as a giant
Japanese chocolate treat dancing in the lobby and more Wolverines,
Klingons, Poison Ivys and Naruto Uzumakis than you ever dreamed
possible. Bring your camera.

For The Tattoos

Yes, the tattoos. The FX 2009 Tattoo Festival, presented by Mark
Draven's Ink-Fusion, brings in nine popular ink artists to put a
favorite character, scene or original design where it will last: on
you. If you've ever been curious about getting a tattoo but not curious
enough to visit a tattoo parlor, this is your chance to see it done,
ask questions, and think about what sort of artwork you'd like to wear.
All city health codes are observed.

For The Partying

Join some of the most talented artists in the industry on April 17 as
they get increasingly unsteady in the Drink and Draw Social Club at the
nearby International Plaza Resort and Spa. Then come back April 18 in
the evening to celebrate FX's 20th anniversary at FX Rocks! with music,
contests, celebrity guests, and giveaways. Or stay at the con to see
"Buffy" and "Smallville" actor James Marsters perform a one-hour
acoustic concert (separate ticket required).

For The Games

On April 17 you can face off against celebrity dealers in the Celebrity
Poker Challenge. There will be prizes, auctions, souvenirs, and all net
proceeds go to the American Cancer Foundation. It'll be $100 to play,
$25 to watch, and donations beyond that are welcomed.

Various booths at the con will host contests, giveaways and auctions.
And you can find rooms devoted to board games, role-playing and video
gaming from the current hit titles all the way back to the retro, 8-bit
era.

About FX

FX started in 1989 as two separate conventions: Bruce Zalkin's Tampa
Toyfest and Michael Herz's Character and Collectible Show in Maryland.

Over the next two years they joined forces and created the Florida
eXtravaganza, or FX. FX changed hands between the two of them until
Herz took it over in 2004 and then took a corporate partner in 2007,
when it became FX International.

In the first six years, attendance grew from 300 to more than 10,000 fans. This year, 20,000 people are expected to attend.

Con Etiquette

It can be scary walking through several thousand brightly dressed
people who all seem to know each other. But all you need is common
sense and courtesy.

Be polite, enjoy the sights, but don't stare. Keep your bags close and be aware of traffic flow.

Cons provide unrivaled opportunities to meet your heroes face to face.
Respect their generosity by not bugging them in the bathroom or while
they're eating and keeping your panel questions under 30 seconds.

Most of the fans in costume will let you take pictures but remember, they're not paid mascots — they're there to have fun.

Ask before you snap a photo (often just holding up your camera and
smiling first will do the trick) and don't be offended if you get a no.

Don't block the aisle taking your shot. If they've already been holding
a pose, ask before you shoot in case they're about to collapse from
muscle strain. Don't take pictures in bathrooms, or when they're
adjusting, and never touch without asking. In fan terms, "glomping"
means aggressive and unexpecting hugging, and it's frowned upon.

If you're in costume yourself — go, you! — please be aware that you
will be stared at. Be aware of the limitations of your costume and plan
accordingly.

This year the trend continues with Jewel Staite and Morena Baccarin coming to one of the busiest cons in the southern USA. Oh, and there's also Leonard Nimoy, James Marsters (and an acoustic concert!), Julie Benz, Juliet Landau, Claire Kramer, Camden Toy, Jonathan Frakes, James Kyson Lee, Ray Park, Lindesy Wagner, a bunch of horror and wrestling stars, and a couple hundred writers and artists.

Whedony events include:

WOMEN OF THE WHEDONVERSE – Join the lovely and talented actresses without whom the works of Joss Whedon would be so much less fun and appealing as they talk about their experiences on set, their current projects, as well as a tribute to their friend Andy Hallet. He was taken from us too soon, and in remembrance, fans will have an opportunity to donate to the American Heart Association in the hopes of preventing this type of tragedy in the future. Featuring Julie Benz, Juliet Landau, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, and Claire Kramer.

JAMES MARSTERS: LIFE AFTER SPIKE – As fans of horror, science fiction, and comics, we are all well aware of who James Marsters is. From Spike to Brainiac, he has brought some of our favorite characters to life, and left an indelible image upon the landscape of popular culture. Join James as he talks about his previous roles, his recent work, and what lies ahead.

JULIET LANDAU AND JASON C. MILLER (lead singer for Godhead) – Be among the first to see the fruits of a new collaboration between actress turned director/producer, and an incredible new musical talent. This will include a screening of a brand new music video.

More details are available at fxshow.com, and at my newspaper article about it. Check it out!

And so ends another wild weekend of scantily-clad women in bizarre costumes.

What? No, Bike Week is still going strong. I meant MegaCon, the annual science fiction convention in Orlando. Thousands of fans of science fiction TV shows and movies and comic books and Japanese anime, gathered together to put on costumes, meet their heroes, and buy stuff. And they did, in brightly-colored droves.

Cosplay (which sounds way better than "dressing up as") is huge at cons when fans take their opportunity to become the hero — or villain, or animal or yummy snack — they've always wanted to be, and with a lot more ingenuity than the old rubber pointy ears shtick.

They take their work seriously, they do, and their costumes often are intricate works of professional-quality art. But what if you're a beginner fan? Never fear! Cosplaying is only as complicated as you want to make it, and I have some handy tips to get you started.

1. Be choosy.

Pick a character you enjoy, pick a character whose strengths you wish to emulate, pick a character whose antics delight you, but most of all pick a character you won't mind seeing yourself as 10 years from now on Flickr. Trust me, that stuff never goes away.

2. Be realistic.

Take an honest look at yourself. Are you the superhero type? Can you pull off the spandex and cleavage look without your audience having to squint? Are you a Slave Leia that anyone would ever want to rescue? Craft your costume to meet your actual body type for a more polished look. Eschew Superman and Lara Croft if you're more ideally suited to the Penguin or Olive Oyl.

Exceptions can be made for ironic costumes or Elseworlds versions, because fat Batmen are just funny.

3. Be comfortable.

I saw several guys this weekend cosplaying Wolfwood, from the Japanese manga and anime series Trigun. Wolfwood carries a massive cross-shaped gun called the "Punisher," which contains two machine guns and a rocket launcher and delivers an amazing amount of firepower. As was hilariously demonstrated over and over again, the "Punisher" also is a bitch to manuever in your average food court or men's bathroom.

Remember, you'll have to deal with your costume all day. Make sure you can comfortably walk, drive, eat and visit the facilities without assistance, unless of course your costume includes a personal slave. Then go nuts.

4. Be accurate.

You're walking (or slithering) into a room full of very harsh critics who know at least as much about your character than you do, and usually much more than the character's own creator. Check your details carefully. Twice.

Also, try to pick something that people will recognize, or think they recognize. Having to spend half your con explaining your costume to people is just annoying.

5. Be wild.

Remember #2 above? Ignore it. Fans are more willing to accept a wider range of body types than most people and this could be your best chance to show off something you've always kept under layers for fear of laughter or villagers with torches. If you're confident, you can get away with anything, and many do. Go for it.

6. Be social.

Groups of themed costumes get even more attention, and it can help to have backup. Be the X-Men, be the cast of a video game, go as a multi-headed dragon (just be sure you all agree on directions first). Strength in numbers, and all that, you'll make for better photo shoots, and you can all gang up on the inevitable Domo Kun guy.

7. Be patient.

The better your costume, the more you'll get stopped for pictures. The frequency of these stops can be determined by this simple formula: Your attractiveness / how much skin you're showing = feet you'll be able to walk uninterrupted. Black Cats and Poison Ivys measure their hallway progress by millimeters. Plan your schedule accordingly.

8. Be dynamic.

When stopped for a photo, have your pose ready. Don't just stand there waiting, be your character! Your pose should be recognizable, exciting, and something you can hold without popping a hamstring when more photographers rush up and ask you to just hang on for a second more.

9.  Be careful.

Remember your new dimensions when you move around, especially if you've gone for the larger wingspans or taller stilts. Nothing ruins the illusion of your imposing magnitude faster than whanging off a door jamb or taking out a row of Cokes as you go by.

10. Have fun.

SciFi cons are the biggest moving costume parties around, why not jump in? You might even make new friends when you pair up with other people with the same outfit or, better, other people cosplaying your mortal enemy. And if you're in the right mood, nothing beats getting together with friends and grabbing dinner together at a nearby restaurant, in character.

Just don't go as Domo Kun, that's just creepy.

If you're an anime fan or just feel the urge to work your Japanese schoolgirl outfit, check out the upcoming Anime Express con coming next week at ERAU and be respectful: the people dressed as Rurouni Kenshin, Sailor Moon or the Prince of Tennis will be flying your plane someday.

James Marsters - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Smallville, Dragonball and Torchwood
Julie Benz – Dexter, Buffy, Angel, Rambo 4 and one of the Punisher movies
Lindsay Wagner – Bionic Woman (the good one)
Ray Park – GI Joe, Star Wars (prequel) and X-Men
Mark Goddard – Lost in Space

Going to an FX con is like going to several different cons at the same time (and in the same building, all using the same bathrooms). While the celebrity guests are signing autographs and posing for pictures, comic book fans are meeting famous guest writers and artists, horror fans are buying up memorabilia, doll and stuffed bear fans are doing whatever doll and stuffed bear fans do, and the rest are busy cosplaying, gaming or just trying to get by for the golf convention in the next wing. It's a madhouse, and a fun one.

This year they're also launching a celebrity poker challenge. According to the release: "The FX Celebrity Poker Challenge is a charitable event with 100% of the net proceeds being donated to the American Cancer Society and other related organizations. Dealers will consist of FX guest celebrities, local celebrities, comic book professionals and tournament staff. The celebrity dealers will rotate from table to table, allowing all players an opportunity to meet them." Meaning you'll have to keep your poker face on while various vampires and Lords of the Sith loom over you. Watch those tells!

FX 2009 is later in the year this year, running April 17th-19th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.  Get more details at the FX Web site.

Yes, video.

Of Nathan.

Being Nathan.

Every year, the FX Show in Orlando assembles together a pile o' celebs, a ton of comic writers and artists, and an assortment of dealers and shoves 'em into a room. Every year they get guests from the hottest new shows and the most beloved older ones, cult favorites that bring out devoted fans from all generations. And every year they get someone from Firefly who blows all the others away.

If you're not interested in my play-by-play you can just check out the pics at Flickr.com. And I've got video of the Whedonverse Panel with Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Rohm, and Nicholas Brendon here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4.
If you are interested, read on…

Not gonna bore you with the tedious details of getting there, parking, walking, walking, walking… The FX Show is held at the Orange County Convention Center and it's a massive thing. (The center.) (Also the con.) FX is known for getting a trunkload and a half of media guests every year and this year was no exception.

Nathan Fillion (Firefly); Elizabeth Rohm (Angel); Nicholas Brendon (Buffy); Greg Grunberg, Stephen Tobolowsky and George Takei (Heroes); Brad Beyer (Jericho); Laura Vandervoort and Helen Slater (Smallville, Supergirl); Jake Lloyd, Ray Park and Orli Shoshan (Star Wars) and many more, including personal favorites Adam West (Batman, and half the cartoons on TV today); Ellen Muth (Dead Like Me), Jeremy London (T.S. from Mallrats), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Veronica from Clerks), and William B. Davis (The Smoking Man from X-Files).

Also lots of voice actors, a couple of Power Rangers, three different women who, at one time, Apparently Wanted To Be a Superhero, Erik Estrada for some reason, the guy who did funny sounds in the Police Academy movies, and the Soup Nazi. On the creators’ side, there was fantasy artist Brom, comics people Brian Azzarello, Jill Thompson, and Brian Wood, and about 30 others of varying degrees of fame.

We got in Saturday morning and beelined to the autograph lines to try and get a jump on the crowds. Which, for any of the rest of the celebrities, was a good idea. Some of the stars were already in place — Brad Beyer from Jericho looked a little lonely (he was added at the last minute and wasn't advertised) but the Heroes folks were doing a brisk business with some of the lines stretching all the way out to the first dealer booths. The line for Nathan stretched out to the end, turned and stretched out along the length of the autograph section and started curving back inwards. My sons bolted to check out the shops and I hung around, chatting with people in the line and chuckling at all the Serenity shirts I was seeing. Seriously, it seemed like every 5th shirt was Firefly or Serenity or Blue Sun or I heart Captain Tightpants or otherwise verse-based. Excellent, I thought, rubbing my hands together…

Finally a volunteer broke the line and handed out tickets. FX does this to prevent anyone from being stuck in a line for hours. Sadly, I was on the wrong side, so I wandered.

And found George's Serenity Shop. Actually I have no idea what the shop is called, but it's 95% Serenity items. Just about every licensed shirt, autographs, the books, buttons, patches, what have you. Chatted with George for a bit, answered some questions for some shoppers, and moved on.

FX is big, at least for Florida. Over a hundred exhibitors, a wrestling ring (?), a huge gaming room, a video room… plenty to see and do and, most especially, buy. I spent another hour striding to and fro across the land, barely avoiding bankrupting myself. Instead I just took pics of everything, and everyone in costume. This year seemed a little less cleavage-heavy (I hope that's a word) than previous years, but maybe they just avoided me.

Went back to see Nicholas Brendon. He was friendly, charming, and surprisingly muscular. Also he has an angel tattoo on his right arm. I know, he's not Xander, but still.

Talked to him about Mutant Enemy Day in LA and he talked about how important it was to support the writers strike.

Also visited George Takei, who was dignified and wise and keeps giggling with that wonderful deep laugh. He has to have seen more autograph lines than anyone there, ever, but he seemed delighted with everyone who stepped up and took the time to talk. I told him I wasn't going to say how long I'd been a fan, out of respect for both our ages. He replied that it just meant I'd survived a long time. We talked briefly about celebrities that can make fun of themselves.

Cons are fun places. Where else can you interact with your favorite stars in that kind of informal setting? Legally, I mean? My son saw William B. Davis coming out of the bathroom. "Cancer Man!" he exclaimed happily.

"Cigarette-Smoking Man," Davis gently corrected.

One odd thing, to me, was the resurgence of popularity for The Fifth Element. Fuin movie, I like it, but there were more costumes and props than I remembered. Maybe someone got a license?

Best scene I didn't get a picture of: Darth Vader and a crew of Stormtroopers all playing Rock Band.

The Heroes panel was on Saturday. No video of that, sadly, but a good time was had by all. Greg Grunberg ran the panel, more or less, in that he was fielding the questions and keeping everyone laughing. One thing that impressed me: a young boy asked a pretty standard question ("Does your mind-reading ability help you catch criminals?") and Greg treated it with complete seriousness and answered it fully, without a hint that he's answered the same thing a billion times. Class act, that man. George described receiving an honor from the royal family in China, Stephen Tobolowsky discussed his evilness ("Evil? Really? I may have drained Clair's blood but it saved her father, so that worked out. I'm not such a bad guy.") and they all discussed the show. Whenever the subject of his character's status came up, George kept stressing that he was told by Tim Kring, "All is not what it seems."

My favorite line was from Greg. Someone asked them all what they would like their characters to do. "Well, in 'Five Years Later" I got to beat the crap out of Masi so my fantasy's already been fulfilled…"

Then it was time to get in line for the posed picture with Nathan. Now I had waited until the last minute to prepay for this, but I had my Paypal receipt. We headed for the area and again the line stretched way down the room. I went to the desk to make sure I was set up and the guy couldn't find my ticket. I told him I had paid for it the night before and he stopped a lady walking by. "Oh, you're Chris Bridges, right?"

It's never good when they know your name already.

Turns out that payment was supposed to be turned off by that point and I somehow got in anyway, she had my ticket ready. Whew! Good thing, because once they started taking the pictures we were flying. You stepped in, handed your bags and whatnot to one girl, stood by Nathan who asked your name, everyone posed, picture snapped, you got your stuff and moved on. No dillydallying, no chatting, no nothing, there's too many people out there and only 40 minutes scheduled for pictures with the Captain. Even still, I told him accidental groping on his part was OK.

Walked around the rest of the con, seeing familiar faces. Went to get Jill Thompson to sign my Death Manga and "Lil' Endless Storybook". Saw a lot of comics artists, avoided the wrestling ring – I don't know what it was, I don't want to know what it was – and got a call from my 22-year-old who was having a crisis. "Dad, they have Takezo Kensei sword replicas signed by George Takei! Talk me out of buying one!" I failed. I also didn't try very hard.

After that we had to leave – work responsibilities forced me to take off early both days – and we headed home.

Sunday we got there early and saw some friends in line – hi Joe! – before getting in. We beelined to the photo table and found our pic, then dashed over to Nathan's line. He came to the table, called out to everyone to make sure we were all rested, and grabbed his pen to dig in.

I had run into Aleta (FireflyGal) previously, and we teamed up. She shot me for my autograph – posed photos with Nathan weren't being allowed, due to the lines – and I agreed to film her presenting him with a scrapbook from her local group.

I elected to have him sign the photo we took, and here's the cool thing. He saw us for maybe a full minute the day before during the photo shoot, among a long line of people. When I stepped up before I produced the picture,  he looked at me and said, "Hey! I met you yesterday! Bring the boys?"

This is why fans would follow him into, if not hell, at least the suburbs of hell.

He signed my photo, and I whipped out… my wife's Mal Barbie. Nathan seemed fascinated. he took it and examined it all over, noted the accuracy, "Got the pants right, got the gun, this is fine work." He asked some questions about how she made it and, after I'd put my camera away because I was afraid I was hogging him he pulled out a LEGO Mal and faced them off against each other. Then FireflyGal gave him her scrapbook and he went through every page.

The other celebrities had healthy lines. Adam West was charging $50 for an autograph and $20 for a picture, so I settled for a blurry side shot.

We had agreed to meet early to get a good seat for the Whedonverse panel but I got sidetracked back at George's Serenity shop. I had been talking to the lady working there and mentioned I had helped beta the QMx Serenity Blueprints Reference pack. I told her about some of the decisions that were made to make the blueprints work, and she ended up having me autograph a copy. One man about to buy one even photographed me with it, over my half-hearted objections. I'm mildly famous!

Also found out the reason Jason Palmer couldn't make this FX even though he was at the last two (and did the art for the program book), even though he really wanted to come because Nathan was here, was because at the last minute he got a dream job offer for licensed artwork that he'd been hoping for. Not gonna say it here in case it's still under wraps (it's not Whedony), but I was delighted for him.

The Whedonverse panel… well, go watch the videos. But please note that filming it was a last-minute decision and I didn't know my digital camera only filmed 10 minute segments so I had to keep restarting. Also, my SD card filled up just before the single best exchange of the whole panel, rackin' frackin' gorram piece of… Here's what you won't see in the videos.

Someone had asked Nicholas an odd question about whether things were awkward around their house at Thanksgiving because he was more famous. Nick said that actually his brother was more famous than he was, "I guess you haven't heard of him?"

Nathan chimed in with "I guess you don't follow gay porn?"

Lots of laughter and bickering as I desperately swapped out SD cards. Finally Nick said something like "No, seriously, we're tighter than ever."

At which Nathan replied, "Coincidentally, also the name of the gay porn."

Something else I noticed was that Nathan took over the panel from the first moment. He got the lion's share of the questions but he brought the other two in on every one of them, keeping everyone engaged and laughing. Elizaneth seemed to be enjoying herself hugely – she was 7 months pregnant, by the way – and Nicholas seemed… off. Little surly, at first, or uncomfortable, but he cheered up as the panel went on. Overall, great time.

After that (and after the mad rush for double-sided Cloverfield movie posters, which were announced at the FX booth just before the mob hit) we had to take off, come home, rest, and start getting ready for MegaCon. See ya there!

More photos at Flickr.com and video here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4